The End of Week Eleven

At the end of eleven weeks, we’re still on track – averaging a 2 pound a week weight loss. This is crazy-wonderful. It means that all of this is actually worth it. At least it is when I’m sitting here. I’m not always so sure when we’re at the gym.

Today, we walked in feeling pretty good, did our warm-ups, and started in with our trainer. Within minutes I was ready to call it quits and go home. He can hammer home in nanoseconds just how out of shape I actually am. Movements that by all accounts should be simple to do are exhausting – moving a 5kg ball in an arc from side to side over my head for a mere minute has the sweat poring off me. Low plank to high plank to low to high… OMFG! And that was the easy stuff. And all the while he is singing encouragement – instructions to breathe, c’mon, this is an easy one…

What he’s really driving home is getting the whole body to work in concert – and I have spent the past 66 years with my body parts playing solos. He’s the conductor who is going to have me playing a symphony when this is over. Right now I feel like I’m still at chopsticks.

But the weight is coming off and the body is feeling better – at least it is after we leave – and it’s taking less time to recover than it did the first couple of weeks. Maybe a modified chopsticks.

Our mantra continues to be smaller portions. That will always be the biggest issue with us – we like to eat. I very rarely actually clean my plate, anymore. I eat until I’m satisfied instead of gorging myself as in days gone by. And we’re both satisfied with less. The body hasn’t learned to listen to all of its moving parts, but it gets the idea that it doesn’t need as much fuel to run efficiently.

Score one for genetic code.

Tonight’s dinner is brought to you by a small turkey breast roast I picked up at the grocery store. It was boneless and skinless, so actually roasting it would not have made for a nice meal. Instead, I cut it into small pieces and pounded them, dredged them in seasoned flour, and into a skillet. Well – half of it. The other half went into the freezer. And we only ate half of what I made. We have lunch, tomorrow!

Turkey Scaloppine

1 lb turkey scallops

8 oz mushrooms, quartered

1 small bunch asparagus

1/2 onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 cup Marsala

1/2 cup chicken broth

sage

poultry seasoning

salt & pepper

green onions, chopped

Pound turkey into scaloppine pieces. Mix salt, pepper, a pinch of sage and a pinch of poultry seasoning with flour. Dredge scallops and set aside.

Heat olive oil and a pat of butter in large skillet. Lightly cook turkey in batches. Set on a plate and set aside. In same skillet add chopped onions and cook until translucent. Add garlic and stir in. Add mushrooms and cook until nicely browned.

Add Marsala and reduce by about a third. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add reserved turkey and reduce to simmer. Cook until turkey is completely cooked through and sauce has slightly thickened. taste for seasoning and add additional salt & pepper, as desired.